Shloka 16

Brahmaṇānāṃ Yācanā—Tīrtha-yātrā-prastāvaḥ

The Brahmanas’ Petition and the Proposal of Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

यदर्थ मां सुरश्रेष्ठ इंदे वचनमत्रवीत्‌ । तच्च ते कथयिष्यामि युधिछ्विर निबोध मे,'युधिष्ठिर! देवश्रेष्ठ इन्द्रने मुझसे तुम्हारे लिये जो संदेश कहा था, उसे अब तुम्हें बता रहा हूँ, सुनो

Transliteration

yadarthaṁ māṁ suraśreṣṭha indraḥ vacanam abravīt | tac ca te kathayiṣyāmi yudhiṣṭhira nibodha me ||

Translation

யுதிஷ்டிரா! தேவர்களில் முதன்மையான இந்திரன் உன் நலனுக்காக என்னிடம் கூறிய செய்தியை இப்போது உனக்குச் சொல்கிறேன்; என் சொற்களை கவனமாகக் கேள்.

Word by Word

• {'yadartham': 'for which purpose

• for whose sake', 'mām': 'to me', 'suraśreṣṭhaḥ': 'the best of the gods (epithet)', 'indraḥ': 'Indra, king of the gods', 'vacanam': 'speech

• statement', 'abravīt': 'said

• spoke', 'tat': 'that', 'ca': 'and

• also', 'te': 'to you

• for you', 'kathayiṣyāmi': 'I will narrate

• I will tell', 'yudhiṣṭhira': 'Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed)', 'nibodha': 'understand

• take heed', 'me': 'my (words)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Indra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes attentive receptivity to counsel: a message delivered for one’s welfare—especially when framed as divine or authoritative instruction—should be heard with focus and discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and announces that he will relay the specific message Indra spoke to him on Yudhiṣṭhira’s behalf, signaling an important forthcoming instruction within the Vana Parva episode.